The much-awaited news came on Sunday, July 17 this year announcing that UNESCO listed Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex and Sikkim’s national park among its World Heritage Sites, approving all three nominations linked to India this session.
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Last week the UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee added Uzbekistan’s Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz to the List of World Heritage in Danger due to the over-development of tourist infrastructure in the site.
With the 21 newly added-12 cultural sites, six natural and three mixed ones-the heritage list has now 1,052 sites in 165 countries.
Lut Desert in southeast of Iran and seven more historic sites have been registered on the List of World Heritage, according to a statement by the global body. Finally, Le Corbusier has been awarded what he deserved.
The Complex is one of the architectural landmarks designed by Corbusier who had led a team of European planners to design Chandigarh.
It will be the 20th World Heritage site in Japan and the first in central Tokyo.
17 of Le Corbusier’s buildings, including Unité d’habitation in Marseille and the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo were announced as new United Nations world heritage sites. It is home to a large number of rare animal species like the Snow Leopard, Himalayan Red Panda (Sikkim’s State Animal), Musk Deer, Nayan or the Great Tibetan Sheep among many other life forms.
The area is made up of seven different sites and includes four wetland areas, which are believed to be the biblical Garden of Eden.
As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the park will now find global protection and conservation efforts.
The sacred meanings of these stories and practices have been integrated with Buddhist beliefs and constitute the basis for Sikkimese identity, a statement said.
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He said however that Thailand will have to postpone the consideration of this agenda to the next session to take place in Paris instead, as a discussion between Thailand and Myanmar is still underway without clear conclusion regarding the forest complex, as Myanmar is concerned on the issue of border demarcation.
